Team Slovakia won bronze at the 2022 Olympics when NHL players didn’t take part, and they’ll be looking to build on that strong showing in Milano. While competition will be better this time around, so will the Slovak roster, which will include seven NHL players: St. Louis Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky, Calgary Flames' Martin Pospisil, San Jose Sharks’ Pavol Regenda, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Erik Cernak, Washington Capitals' Martin Fehervary, New Jersey Devils’ Simon Nemec, and Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky.
However, at the opening ceremony, it wasn’t one of those NHL players who acted as flag bearer for the country, but another hockey player, one who played 14 NHL seasons, including three with the Canadiens: Tomas Tatar.
Drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Tatar played for parts of seven seasons in Michigan before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline in 2017-18. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t develop any chemistry with his new teammates. By the time the Nevada side reached the Stanley Cup Final, he had played only eight postseason games and was a healthy scratch by the Conference Final.
With three years left on his contract, he had already overstayed his welcome in Vegas. When the team set its sights on Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, Tatar was part of the offer made to the Habs alongside Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick. While Tatar was seen as a throw-in in the trade, he would turn out to be an excellent acquisition for the Canadiens. He would eventually become a first-line player for Montreal, skating with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher.
In a game against his former team in November 2018, Tatar scored the game-winning goal for the Habs and became a popular meme amongst Habs fans when an overenthusiastic fan screamed his name on camera.
He recorded 58, 61, and 30 points (in 50 games in a shortened season) with the Canadiens, but fizzled out in the Canadiens Cup final run, only skating in five postseason games. With his contract expiring at the end of that season, he was allowed to walk as an unrestricted free agent. He went on to play for the New Jersey Devils (twice), the Colorado Avalanche, and the Seattle Kraken before calling time on his NHL career at the end of the 2024-25 season.
This year, he has been plying his trade in the Swiss A league and has put up 30 points in 36 games with Zug EV. At 35, these are his second Olympics and, more than likely, his last, and with the career he had in the NHL (496 points in 927 games), it’s not surprising that Slovakia chose to honour him by making him the flag bearer.
Tomas Tatar with the Slovakian flag. Credit: Tomas Tatar Instagram
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 20: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox hits during the third inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 20, 2025 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!
For years folks have said baseball belongs outdoors and not on artificial turf made from coconuts. Playing in the elements on Dale Mabry had its perks, but for the players on the field in particular, also some key draw backs. So be honest, will you miss it?
Victor Scott II is one of the most interesting players the Cardinals have rostered in quite some time. He has plus-plus speed, elite defense, and swings the bat with the ferocity of a house cat playing with a ball of yarn. While the Redbird infield has players in place that you could envision playing for the next World Series contending team, the outfield is a series of question marks. Lars Nootbaar has never had the breakout many hoped for and is now two years away from free agency, and could be moved by the trade deadline. Jordan Walker continues his quest to regain the lost luster of his prospect pedigree. Scott had an up-and-down 2025 season, but showed big improvements on both sides of the ball, setting him up as a potential breakout candidate for 2026.
2025 Recap
Scott carried a 94 wRC+ through June and had posted 1.7 fWAR in just 283 plate appearances. The WAR was, of course, propped up by excellent defense and baserunning, but he was playing at a borderline All-Star pace for most of the first half. There were signs that this would be difficult to sustain as he was running a 27.2% strikeout rate and had a high .337 BABIP. The rest of the season did not go as well. Over his final 59 games, Scott was exactly replacement level and saw his batting average fall below the Mendoza line as he scraped along with a 46 wRC+. Despite the poor results offensively, there were positives. His xwOBA, which measures his expected results, was virtually unchanged in the second half. More importantly, he cut his strikeout rate to 18.9%. His overall batting line was torpedoed by a .210 BABIP. On the season, he ranked fifth among all outfielders in FanGraphs’ defensive value metric. His value on the basepaths was 13th in all of baseball, sandwiched between Chandler Simpson and Fernando Tatis II. Scott trailed only Trea Turner in sprint speed at 30.2 feet per second.
Without belaboring the point, Scott is awesome at baseball except when he is standing in the batters box. If he can find a way to scrape together a league-average batting line, he will be a certifiable weapon and establish himself as one of the most valuable center fielders in baseball. To be fair, this same thing applies to many defensive specialist types. We saw the version of this actually working out with Tommy Edman putting up 15 WAR on the back of his speed and defense. Harrison Bader would fit in this bucket of recent Cardinals as well. Without some offensive production, you are left with Peter Bourjos or Michael Siani, players that may fit on a roster, but cannot hold down a starting job long term.
You can count Oli Marmol as one of Scott’s believers. When he was interviewed at Winter Warmup, he twice brought Scott up, without being prompted, as a player he was excited about coming into the season. He spoke glowingly about Scott’s work ethic and maturity, giving him a real chance to make the necessary adjustments offensively. Scott himself spoke openly at Winter Warmup saying, “I told them I wanted to come back a totally different player.” Scott went on to detail how he had returned to West Virginia over the offseason for a panel of motion capture and force plate testing to try and diagnose his offensive woes. The testing showed that his movements were inefficient and hurt his ability to be “adjustable.” He went on to say that his mechanics caused him to spin off the ball and sweep too many grounders to second base. He did not go into too much depth on what the specific changes to his mechanics would be, although he did mention better shin angles and more efficient rotation via getting into his front side better. I will leave the mechanical analysis to people with a better eye for scouting, but Scott was explicit in what he wanted the outcome of the adjustments to be. Going into 2026, his stated focus will be on being shorter to the ball, being more adjustable (particularly to breaking balls), taking the ball the other way, and trying to drive the ball into the gaps rather than over the fence.
Key Things That Define Scott as a Hitter
To evaluate the adjustments Scott is attempting to make, we need a clear understanding of who he is as a hitter today. There are three specific things in Scott’s profile that, when combined, make him an incredibly unique hitter.
Exit Velocity – His average exit velocity ranks 167th out of 177 players with at least 450 plate appearances. This by itself is not a problem, as the bottom of the rankings are populated by plenty of productive hitters like Jacob Wilson, Luis Arraez, and Steven Kwan. With Scott saying specifically he is going to focus more on gap-to-gap line drive and opposite field coverage, he is prioritizing improving his hit tool rather than maximizing his power. With Scott’s long track record of limited power output, this approach is more achievable than trying to be a poor man’s Cody Bellinger or Cedric Mullins, lefty swingers who maximize limited bat speed by hitting at higher launch angles.
Out-of-Zone Contact – Scott’s overall contact rate is 75.6%, which is roughly league average. His contact rate on pitches outside the zone, however, is an abysmal 46.6%, about 9% lower than league average. Similarly to ranking low in the power department, this does not preclude hitters from being successful. In fact, Aaron Judge ranked last in baseball in this metric. Right behind Scott in the rankings are Jeremy Pena, Michael Busch, and Mike Trout. Directly ahead of him are Fernando Tatis II, Jo Adell, and Elly De La Cruz. You don’t have to be a genius analyst to spot the outlier here. It is OK to swing and miss, but only if you scorch the ball when you do connect.
Swing Decisions – To round out Scott’s unusual profile, he makes fantastic swing decisions. He is excellent at laying off balls, which helps mitigate his contact issues, and he swings aggressively at pitches in the zone. His zone swing % minus his out-of-zone swing % is 13th in all of baseball.
The combination of poor contact and excellent swing decisions give Scott the profile and approach of a slugger who is sitting back trying to punish pitches in the zone, even at the expense of some strikeouts. The icing on the cake is that Scott also has a launch angle that is several points above league average. Scott is basically Shohei Ohtani trapped in, well, Victor Scott’s body… Since writing an article titled “Victor Scott Is the Next Shohei Ohtani” would get me banned from the internet and banished from polite society, I will focus on the more realistic path.
The eight softest-hitting (by exit velocity), left-handed swinging players in baseball last year were: Adam Frazier, Sal Frelick, Zach McKinstry, Luis Arraez, Victor Scott II, Steven Kwan, Jung Hoo Lee, and TJ Friedl. The average wRC+ of the lefty slapper comp group is 105 with a pretty tight range of 89 to 114 (excluding Scott). For Scott, anything in this range would be a huge success. Looking at this group of players, the underlying metrics are remarkably similar. You have a few outliers, like Arraez’s ultra-high contact or McKinstry getting to slightly higher max exit velocities and producing a decent slugging percentage, but overall, these players get to their production in similar ways. Scott’s contact rate kept him from equaling the production of this group as it was ten points below the next man on the list, TJ Friedl. Digging into the data a bit further, his abysmal contact rate on balls outside the zone is driven by a 24% contact rate on breaking balls. To provide some context on just how dreadful this is, the rest of the group had a contact rate of 62% on breaking balls outside the zone. Scott’s struggles against breaking balls help explain how he has run such a high strikeout rate despite making great swing decisions and an average amount of contact overall.
Reasons for Optimism
Contact Rate Can Be Improved
For players that received at least 450 MLB plate appearances in both 2024 and 2025, the largest improvement in contact rate was 7% by our old friend Paul Goldschmidt. Seven players out of the 115-player sample had an increase of 5% or greater. Scott needs to see this level of improvement, at a minimum. It is a lot to ask, but he has a plan in place specifically to address his struggles with off-speed pitches and breaking balls, so this will be a metric worth following in the early going.
The Bunting Can’t Get Worse
At Winter Warmup, Scott said that he had been bunting like crazy this offseason. I know bunting can be a divisive topic, so I will just share some numbers and not plant a flag. Scott was 7 for 26 in bunt attempts for a .269 average. Beyond the bunting-for-hits results, Scott also laid down 10 sac bunts and fouled off or missed an additional 32 bunts. Within our comp group, Friedl was successful on a shocking 11 of his 18 bunt attempts for a cool .611 batting average. Kwan was the second most prolific bunter, reaching safely on six of 13 attempts. Overall, Scott was by far the worst bunter despite attempting to bunt far more frequently than his peers, so there is plenty of upside here in just improving on a poor baseline. If he is going to keep bunting in 2026, I am glad he has been working on it.
There Are Already Some Skills in Place
While Scott’s issues making contact, particularly on breaking balls, are his biggest obstacle, there are some things working in his favor too. He is excellent at laying off pitches outside the zone, which helps mitigate his swing-and-miss issues. He maintains this discipline not by being passive, as he is extremely aggressive in swinging at pitches in the zone. This is a great starting point and could make him an absolute pest to deal with if he can make more contact. He also ran solid contact rates in the minor leagues right around 80%, so there is some precedent of better performance.
Looking Ahead
I am just as skeptical as the next person when it comes to offseason hype around player adjustments, trips to Driveline, and new conditioning regimens. I do put real weight behind Marmol’s confidence in Scott. I also think Scott’s stated goals for improving his offensive production are right in line with what the data shows. Diving into underlying metrics with players often leads to the conclusion, whether true or not, that they are actually better than their surface-level stats or that they are one small tweak away from making a jump forward. With Scott, I had the opposite reaction; he needed a massive overhaul to his approach and improvements to key parts of his game, or he would be relegated to being a fourth or fifth outfielder. Thankfully, we are just a few short weeks away from getting our first glimpse of the new Victor Scott II in game action.
DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 11: An aerial view of the Field of Dreams movie set field at sunrise at Field of Dreams on Thursday, August 11, 2022 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Quinn Harris/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball season is, finally, just around the corner. It’s also Saturday, a perfect time to fire up some baseball movies to get you ready for spring training.
I am, in addition to my life as a musician and my baseball fandom, a Movie Guy. I teach classes about movies, I have a crippling physical media addiction, and I spend too much time on Letterboxd. Naturally, I am a big fan of baseball movies, as they represent an intersection of my biggest interests.
So I’m here today to give you my personal top five baseball movies. You aren’t going to agree with it, in all likelihood; I batted around some options with friends before writing this and they all vehemently disagreed about something, whether it was something I included or, more often, an omission. Head to the comment section to tell me how you feel, but also, it’s my list — it can’t be wrong!
We’ll get to some honorable and not-so-honorable mentions at the end. Starting at No. 5:
5. A League of Their Own (1992, directed by Penny Marshall)
In anticipation of a possible shutdown of Major League Baseball due to World War II, a women’s baseball league is launched; we follow the Rockford Peaches, with their star catcher Dottie (Geena Davis) and her little sister Kit (Lori Petty), who pitches. Their manager is a drunken ex-MLB star, Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks and loosely based on Jimmie Foxx).
This is a wonderful film with a lot of baseball, and for large sections it’s very funny; Jon Lovitz has a hilarious brief appearance as a scout, and there’s nice comedic rapport between Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell, two of Dottie and Kit’s teammates. (They’re good, honest!) It has its moments of drama, as well, and thankfully avoids a contrived romance between Dottie (who is married) and Jimmy, despite the studio trying to shoehorn one in (which can be found in a deleted scene that would’ve been a disastrous inclusion).
Dottie is a legitimately fascinating character, someone who is extremely closed off to the point of harming the people around her and who doesn’t really believe women should be playing baseball, but she’s smack in the middle of a film with legitimate feminist credentials.
4. Major League (1989, directed by David S. Ward)
One of the more popular baseball films of all time, this is a story with a somewhat convoluted MacGuffin about a team owner wanting to move the Cleveland Indians to a warmer climate and thus bringing in players who will be terrible, thus tanking attendance and giving her a platform on which to move the team. Of course, this band of misfits — including the aging Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), the recently incarcerated Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), the athletic but not exactly talented Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes), a formerly good pretty boy, Roger Dorn, who’s afraid to get dirty (Corbin Bernsen), and a powerful hitter with a serious hole in his swing, Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) — comes together and wildly outperforms expectations.
For Brewer fans, this one is especially notable: while it ostensibly takes place in Cleveland, it was filmed in County Stadium and features Bob Uecker in what was arguably his most legendary on-screen appearance as the team’s very funny play-by-play announcer, Harry Doyle. That’s not all, though: Pete Vuckovich, who won the 1982 Cy Young while pitching for the Brewers, plays the film’s “villain,” Haywood, the big slugger for the Yankees. (Former Dodger catcher Steve Yeager also appears as Duke Temple, an assistant coach.)
The off-the-field stuff in this is kind of lame (there’s a love story between Jake and his ex-wife, played by Rene Russo, and some drama including Wild Thing and Dorn’s wife) but there’s a lot of baseball, a lot of big stars, and Uecker’s important role. I’m also just a huge fan of some of the crowd banter; I still say “too high” about once every other game during the season.
3. Field of Dreams (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)
This would top the list for a lot of people, a fantasy drama about a Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), an Iowa farmer who builds a baseball field in the middle of a cornfield because he thinks it will allow the long-deceased Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) to come back and play. Amy Madigan also stars as Ray’s wife, James Earl Jones is here as a reclusive ex-writer that’s sort of a cross between James Baldwin and J.D. Salinger, and the legendary Burt Lancaster makes his final feature film appearance before his death in 1994.
There are certainly some nits that can be picked with this film (check out Nick Offerman’s hilarious rant, courtesy of the PosCast), but it also contains an undeniable magic (both literally and figuratively, you might say). It also made a lot of people aware of the story of Shoeless Joe and the Black Sox, even if it’s not completely accurate, and the ending will forever be a moment for dads and sons everywhere.
A missed opportunity: when all the old ballplayers come back at the end (we hear the names Mel Ott, Gil Hodges, and Smoky Joe Wood), it would’ve been a cool twist if some Negro Leagues players were included. Imagine Joe Jackson and Mel Ott playing against Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson!
This film holds a pretty firm place in American pop culture. You can still visit the field, which is in northeast Iowa (not a long drive from many places in Wisconsin), and they’re now staging major league games there every now and then — in 2026, the Phillies and Twins will play a game there in mid-August.
2. Moneyball (2011, directed by Bennett Miller)
Who would’ve thought that a book about obscure baseball stats and economics would make for a compelling film?
This is arguably the highest-quality movie on this list. It’s beautiful to look at, has an excellent score by Mychael Danna, and has two Oscar-nominated acting performances, from Brad Pitt as Athletics general manager Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as his top assistant, a fictional character that seems to be based mostly on the real-life Paul DePodesta, who was just hired as the GM of the Colorado Rockies. Some call it the best performance of Pitt’s career.
There are other stars here: Robin Wright plays Beane’s ex-wife, a young Chris Pratt plays the catcher-turned-first baseman Scott Hatteberg, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar playing Truman Capote in Miller’s earlier film Capote, plays A’s manager Art Howe.
As for picking nits, the common baseball-related complaint about this movie is that there is nary a mention of the three-headed monster that led the early-2000s A’s rotation, Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder, nor the 2002 American League MVP, Miguel Tejada. An uninformed viewer might be led to believe that Hatteberg, 36-year-old David Justice, and middle reliever Chad Bradford were solely responsible for the 103 games that team won.
But honestly if the exclusion of Hudson, Zito, Mulder, and Tejada is ruining this movie for you, you’re a curmudgeon.
1. Bull Durham (1988, directed by Ron Shelton)
Bull Durham is simultaneously a hilarious baseball movie, a romantic comedy, and a moving and rather profound meditation on how we deal with the changing seasons of life. On the surface, it’s a story about a love triangle between a local woman (Susan Sarandon) and two players on opposite ends of their minor league careers: Costner again as Crash Davis, who has had a long and successful minor league career but couldn’t quite make it in the big leagues, and Tim Robbins as a young, stupid, and talented pitcher — this is where the “million-dollar arm and ten-cent head” line comes from.
Ron Shelton, who played minor league baseball, was the writer and director, and the fact that he spent time in the minor leagues is obvious. You will not find a place with funnier or more real-feeling banter between players, and the way it discusses and depicts baseball is intelligent and accurate. The film features a couple of legendary baseball scenes: nothing dramatic, just things like the meeting on the mound (“we’re dealing with a lot of s***!”).
But it’s in the way it seamlessly shifts from a hilarious sports rom-com to an introspective look at a very relatable feeling: well, that’s over, now what? I don’t think I would’ve appreciated this aspect of the film as much when I was younger, but as a guy in his late 30s, I identify deeply with the way Crash must come face-to-face with the end of his playing career and face the next phase of his life.
But even without that, it’s a great romantic comedy and in my opinion the funniest of all baseball movies. One of my favorite movies ever made, of any genre.
Honorable Mentions
The hardest cut for me is The Sandlot, the best of all the 1990s baseball movies for kids. That list also includes Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, and Angels in the Outfield, but The Sandlot is a far superior film. I didn’t see Rookie of the Year until I was an adult, and while there are certain entertaining and/or funny aspects, the baseball is ludicrous and the climactic play is a blatant rule violation. Little Big League is automatically excluded because it stars Pete Crow-Armstrong’s mom. (It does benefit from the inclusion of a large number of real players, including Ken Griffey Jr., Iván Rodríguez, Randy Johnson, Rafael Palmeiro, Tim Raines, and more.) I haven’t seen Angels in the Outfieldsince I was a little kid. I don’t remember liking it.
The Sandlot, though, is pure childhood magic, a mix of the sort of To Kill A Mockingbird-style vignettes of kids in summertime with the fun central story of a kid who doesn’t know ball learning ball. The movie itself knows ball, too, which makes it all the more enjoyable, and it has one of the most memorable ensemble casts in kids’ movie history. Also, an incredible Ray Charles needle drop.
Eight Men Out is another movie from the late 1980s about the Black Sox, this one based on the Eliot Asinof book of the same name that covers the 1919 scandal (a book which, it must be said, has been accused of massaging the truth). The film sort of centers around Buck Weaver (played by John Cusack), who is painted as a mostly innocent participant, and gives a pretty sympathetic view to most of the players involved. It’s good.
Not included because I don’t think it really counts as a baseball movie is another late-80s film, the wonderful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad. You will see this on lists of baseball movies and it does spend a tremendous amount of time at the ballpark, as the film’s whole climax centers around an elaborate scheme where a brainwashed Reggie Jackson is supposed to assassinate the queen of England. A childhood favorite and one of the great 1980s comedies, just not a real baseball movie.
Speaking of non-baseball movies that feature a lot of baseball, check out Blake Edwards’ Experiment in Terror, a 1962 Hitchcock-esque thriller starring Lee Remick and Glenn Ford. This film also features a climax at a ballpark — in this case Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the climactic events occur during a Giants/Dodgers game, and we see game action that includes Hall-of-Famer Don Drysdale, star outfielder and unibrow owner Wally Moon, and John Roseboro, the catcher most famous for being the guy Juan Marichal hit with a baseball bat. Anyway, it’s good, and Edwards — who sandwiched this movie in between two major hits, Breakfast at Tiffany’s the year before and The Pink Panther the year after — knew how to make movies.
Those of you looking for something from classic Hollywood might consider checking out 1942’s The Pride of the Yankees, the film made to lionize Lou Gehrig, released just a year after his death. Gary Cooper plays Gehrig, and Babe Ruth appears as himself (alongside a few other Yankees), and it was nominated for a whole bunch of Oscars including Best Actor for Cooper and Best Picture. For some time, Cooper’s version of the “luckiest man” speech was more well-known than the actual Gehrig one, of which we have actual footage (though not of the whole speech). Gehrig delivers it better, in my opinion.
A lesser-known, excellent film that is more a movie about guys who happen to play baseball than it is a baseball movie is 1973’s Bang the Drum Slowly, a drama about a pitcher and catcher for a fictional version of the Yankees who are trying to hide the fact that the catcher is severely ill. The most notable aspect of the film is that the catcher is played by a relatively unknown young actor named Robert De Niro. Six weeks after Bang the Drum Slowly was released in 1973, Mean Streets came out, which kicked off one of the most successful decades in the history of Hollywood, as De Niro would star in The Godfather: Part II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, and The King of Comedy all within the next nine years.
While it doesn’t fit with the rest because it’s not a traditional narrative film, I’m going to give a shoutout to Ken Burns’ Baseball, the 1994 documentary (that had a postscript added in 2010) that does what it does better than any other doc about baseball out there. The number of legendary players included, balanced with (mostly) good journalists and writers, paints a comprehensive picture of baseball from its earliest days to the present. It’s also how the incomparable Buck O’Neil was introduced to much of America, which is possibly its greatest legacy.
Others
First, I will confess a major blind spot in my baseball-movie-watching history: I’ve never seen The Bad News Bears, neither the original 1976 version nor its 2005 remake. I understand that this movie has a loyal following, and it does seem like something I’d like. I tried to watch it this week, but it wasn’t streaming anywhere and I didn’t have enough time to order it. I promise I will get to it!
Some of you are going to yell at me, but I’m going to say it anyway: The Natural is a completely bonkers movie. This film not only asks us to accept 48-year-old Robert Redford as a 19-year-old boy, but it also includes a serial killer who preys on famous athletes, a gambling plot clearly inspired by the Black Sox, a weird love triangle that includes a long-lost son, and a Major League-esque race to win the pennant in order to stick it to an evil owner. There’s also the absurdity that Redford’s Roy Hobbs is given his chance when the guy blocking him from getting into games in the outfield crashes into the fence and dies. It’s basically Eight Men Out, Major League, and The Rookie combined into a single movie, with an added dash of ludicrousness.
I’ll give a quick shout to 2001’s Hardball, a movie where Keanu Reeves plays a degenerate gambler who, in order to pay off his debts, must coach an inner-city baseball team. It’s melodramatic but it’s pretty good, and it features 14-year-old Michael B. Jordan, right before he showed everyone why he’d eventually be a star on HBO’s The Wire.
The Jackie Robinson story was adequately told in 2013’s 42, a not bad but somewhat forgettable film starring the late Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as the Dodgers’ GM, Branch Rickey.
Lastly, I’ll mention Mr. 3000, a movie I have never seen. As far as I know it’s the only major film to ever feature the Milwaukee Brewers prominently. Harrison says he loves it but it isn’t good. You can all let me know in the comments.
FWIW, a national SB Nation Reacts survey produced the following results:
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts signals for a three-peat during the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. (Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
I just read Bill Shaikin's excellent column contrasting the Dodgers' option to visit the White House with Jackie Robinson's legendary civil rights stands throughout his life.
As a lifetime Dodger fan who has tried to stay as apolitical as possible, I would be absolutely ashamed of my Dodgers if they were to attend this photo op. I was ashamed last year, too. But nowhere near as much as this year.
Please don't go.
Eric Monson Temecula
Just to let Dave Roberts know, there is something bigger than baseball. On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.
When our freedoms are being taken away, it’s not OK if you go to the White House and visit the man who is taking them away. Which means my father fought for nothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to wear the same uniform Jackie Robinson did.
Ed Villanueva Chino Hills
I agree with Bill Shaikin that for the world champion Dodgers to visit the fascist friendly White House would be an implicit contradiction of Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Most of the players probably don’t care, but you wish a manager like Dave Roberts (in L.A.!) were as smart and sensible as Steve Kerr. Apparently he is not.
Sean Mitchell Dallas
I couldn’t disagree more with Bill Shaikin and his stance that the Dodgers should decline the opportunity to visit the White House. In a world of increasing stresses and dangers, sports is, or should be, a reprieve from the news reported on the front pages. After 9/11, for example, we celebrated the return of baseball as a valued respite from the tragedies we were dealing with. Allow baseball to continue to be this respite, Bill, and stop trying to drag sports into the fray.
Steve Kaye Oro Valley, Ariz.
Bad look, Dave. It doesn’t help to invoke Jackie Robinson, then in the next breath, “I am (just) a baseball manager.”
Can’t have it both ways. Shaikin is right. Decline.
Joel Soffer Long Beach
If Roberts feels he needs to go, he should. But the rest of the team should not. Dodger management should support them. Roberts conveniently thinks that going is not a political statement. It is. Roberts’ going supports Trump. The man who raised him and served this country did not do so to see it under the thumb of a corrupt man who attacks all that it has stood for. Today we are all politically identified by the choices we make. There’s no avoiding it.
Eric Nelson Encinitas
Bill Shaikin nailed it when he talked about and quoted Jackie Robinson and compared him to Dave Roberts' spineless decision to take the Dodgers to the White House. It's "only" sports? A team of this renown, in a city terrorized by ICE, in a state directly harmed by Trump? Thank you, Mr. Shaikin, for calling Roberts out.
Ellen Butler Long Beach
Thank you, Dave Roberts, for making the decision to go to the White House and celebrate our Dodgers' victory in the World Series. It’s a thing called respect for the office of the president no matter what political party is involved. I don’t care about the L.A. Times sports writers' politics, so keep your political opinions out of the Sports pages.
Lance Oedekerk Upland
No defense for Lakers
With the return of Austin Reaves, the Lakers are back to their three scoring leaders, who can't play defense, which doesn't bode well for the Lakers' playoff chances.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
By trading for Luke Kennard, who is an excellent shooter but inadequate defender, it seems as though the Lakers will disregard defense in the hopes of outscoring opponents. What's the Lakers' next move, rehiring Mike D'Antoni?
Richard Raffalow Valley Glen
Curses! Clippers fans say
The Bill Plaschke curse is alive and well as described last week. The other one in L.A. is the Clipper curse. With the trade of James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland, the curse will be Harden finally winning an NBA championship and Garland continuing to be injury prone and not playing comparable to his past.
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
We pause this 17-4 sprint by the Clippers, who are passing teams and headed for playoff contention, for this message from Steve Ballmer and Lawrence Frank: “This is fool's gold. We’re trading away our top players. The season is officially over.”
These trades would have been available at season’s end, maybe even with a better return not under the gun of the trade deadline. Instead, the best of James Harden, Ivica Zubac and a finally healthy Kawhi Leonard has been flushed. Unless there is more to the Leonard story indicating an impending punishment from the NBA, this is an absolute disservice to Clippers fans this year and in immediate years to come.
Robert Goldstone Corona del Mar
High scores for this pair
Your piece on Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner was heartwarming and most enjoyable. My favorite part of their story is simply that, through everything, they’re still good friends.
Anthony Moretti Lomita
Speaking of curses
Since Bill Plaschke is picking the Patriots, I'll select the Seahawks and Sam Darnold to win Super Bowl LX.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
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Mar 8, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; the Philadelphia Phillies Phanatic entertains fans during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Super Bo—
I mean “Big Game” is tomorrow, which means as an Eagles fan, I can only say they are reigning champs for something like 40 more hours.
Which is fine because I am ready for baseball season.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: San Antonio Spurs huddle before the game against the Washington Wizards on February 10, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per a Spurs press release:
The San Antonio Spurs announced plans for their Black Heritage Night game, presented by Spectrum, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 7 as the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks, tipping off at 5 p.m. This theme night is part of the Spurs month-long celebration of Black History Month, presented by Spectrum, with the organization’s 2026 theme being “Built by Black History, Elevated by Black Voices,” and will feature a $40,000 donation and in-game Leaders and Legacies spotlight, special jersey ticket package and more. Additionally, throughout the month, Spurs player Harrison Barnes and his family will support multiple local nonprofit organizations in the San Antonio community.
Activations include:
Leaders and Legacies Grants: The Spurs will distribute $40,000 in grants to four local organizations whose work strengthens health, education, culture and opportunity across San Antonio. In partnership with Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, the organizations will also be honored during in-game Leaders & Legacies tributes:
Gardopia Gardens will receive a $10,000 grant in honor of founder and CEO Stephen Lucke, recognizing the organization’s leadership in community wellness, and garden-based education.
Ella Austin Community Center will receive a $10,000 grant in honor of Beverly Watts Davis, supporting one of San Antonio’s longest-standing East Side institutions serving children, families and seniors.
Juneteenth Freedom Coalition of San Antonio will receive a $10,000 grant in honor of Oscar L. Vicks, supporting the city’s annual Juneteenth parade and celebration of African American history and culture.
Exclusive Black Heritage Night Ticket Package: Fans can celebrate with a one-of-a-kind Spurs Black Heritage jersey and Coyote bobble head included exclusively as part of the ticket package. Jerseys and bobbleheads are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket package will go toward investing and supporting the local community, including Black owned businesses, nonprofits and programs through Spurs Give.
Pregame Check Presentation: Prior to tipoff, the Spurs will present a $4,000 donation to the San Antonio Zulu Association (SAZA) in recognition of the organization’s longstanding commitment to cultural celebration, civic engagement and philanthropy in San Antonio.
Halftime Performance: The Mu Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. from Texas State University will perform a step routine during halftime.
In addition to the Spurs donations, Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany are donating $150,000 to 10 local nonprofit organizations.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 21: Malik Beasley #5 of the Detroit Pistons fights for a loose ball against Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on December 21, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: In November, Ryan Dunn averaged 24.4 minutes per game. In January, his MPGs dropped to 16.4 and to 14.9 in the last 10 games. Both his field goal and 3-point (FG – 47.0, 44.8, 39.0, 3-pt – 42.3, 32.4, 31.6) percentages have dropped over time. What’s your opinion of Dunn’s recent struggles and whether he will be able to improve his shooting?
Ashton: Well at this point, he was not traded. I thought he may be part of a trade package.
I am going to hold the line that nobody should be moved if it upsets team chemistry. Let Dunn get out of his shooting slump and develop under proper coaching. The coach and the Suns are good at it.
OldAz: A lot of opinions are floating around about Dunn, and in typical Suns fans’ fashion, some are even calling for him to be first on the trade block. To just get rid of him. As usual, this is reactionary and shortsighted. Yes, he has slipped down the depth chart and is not playing as many minutes, but the same could’ve been said earlier in the season about Oso, who is now a key cog in their success. Another factor in his reduced playing time is the fact that he is not in any way, shape, or form a power forward. With the glut of guards on the team and the style of play, there is just no room for a wing that is less effective.
Interestingly, I think Dunn‘s problems actually stem from his struggles on the defensive end. He was an above-average one-on-one defender last year on a team of parking cones. This year, he is continuing to try to lock down his man when, in reality, the Suns are a much better team defensively, and he has not made the transition. He is often still stuck to his man when he should be switching or playing the passing lanes. This is a different mindset, and he needs to spend time watching someone like Jordan Goodwin (who also plays aggressive 1:1 but knows how to fit the team’s defensive concepts better) and adjust his style accordingly. Once Dunn does this and gets more comfortable on the defensive end within the team system, I think his offense will come around. His form and technique still look good on that end, so I have to believe he’s simply thinking too much.
Rod: For the most part, Dunn’s recent play has gotten me to the point where cold chills go down my spine whenever he touches the ball, and I hold my breath every time he attempts a shot. Whenever there’s a closeup of his face on TV, I see the look of a guy who seems to have lost his confidence.
As John suggested a few days ago, perhaps some time assigned to the Valley Suns in the G League might be good for him. He would get lots of reps there with the opportunity to get a confidence boost too. Seeing he court time and reps continue to dwindle with the Suns isn’t going to do anything to solve the problem so why not give it a shot?
We’ve seen him play better so there’s no doubt that he can do it again, and even improve, so calling for him to be traded as a few fans have done just seems like jumping the gun to me.
Q2: What are your thoughts on the Suns/Bucks/Bulls deadline trade?
Ashton: So, again, team chemistry. If Green is the biggest cheerleader in street clothes on the bench, then you keep him. And he was kept. Do the fans really know his injury status? Not in the slightest.
But this question has multiple parts. How exactly are the Suns going to fund Mark Williams, Goody, and Collin Gillespie extensions? The Suns are under the repeater tax for now, and I am fine with it. The numbers are beyond me, and I am not going back to school on this CBA and the complicated format it provides. Unless Rod starts an online class.
I thought the “backup” guards stunk it up against the Clippers and wondered if Green could have been a factor for a win. And then Portland happens, and the backup guards are not that bad. Then GSW happens, and the backup guards suck again. Green is still out. Should the Suns have made a trade for an injured Green?
But in the end, the team avoided the luxury tax. And if they do it for a second year (2027), the clock resets on the repeater tax.
Also, Phoenix will now have a 2026 second-round pick, a selection that will be the second-most favorable between Dallas (19-31), Philadelphia (29-21), and Oklahoma City (40-12). It is currently the 49th overall pick. (Arizona Sports). I love picks.
So, it was a good trade. The Suns are off the tax and needed to move Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis to do it. But what they got back is not that impressive. Two guards, and if you squint enough, maybe one that one can play small-ball at SF?
Waive them both (Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey) and fill up the roster spots with the two-ways.
Old Az: My first take is about the entire league and how amazing it is that almost every team made some type of move at this deadline. As for the Suns, they did exactly what people have been saying they were going to do for four weeks. They made a small move on the margins to get under the luxury tax. This is far more important than many people recognize because of the Draconian penalties in the current CBA.
I don’t know much about the two players being brought in (at this point in their careers) but they traded away two players that weren’t playing, and even if the two players brought in give them nothing it created space to sign one or both of Bouyea and or Livers to a full contract. Both of those players have shown to be valuable this year. They also don’t have to be in a hurry to do anything as, for the first time in a while, they can be full participants in the buyout market and snag a player that really could contribute this season.
For the first time in a long time, we can actually see the Sun‘s front office with a plan that does not include making trades for the sake of trades or selling low after buying high. That is a nice change, and my biggest takeaway from the Suns’ moves at the deadline.
Rod: It was a small move that has a bigger impact than you would assume at first glance. The biggest plus from it was not only getting the Suns below the luxury tax line but also getting them far enough below it to possibly be able to eventually convert both Bouyea’s and Liver’s two-way contracts to standard NBA contracts if they eventually waive either Anthony (likely) or Coffey (unlikely) to create enough roster spots for both of them.
And there’s also the upcoming buy-out market to consider. Under the tax aprons, the Suns can now sign anyone who gets bought out, no matter what their previous salary was. I can hardly wait to see who is available. There may be no one there that fits the Suns’ needs but, if there is, they can at least make a play for them now.
Q3: Two-way player Koby Brea has not played exceptionally well in the G League. While he’s averaged 16.6 ppg, his FG and 3-point percentages are 38.9% and 32.5% (10.2 3-point attempts per game), respectively. If he continues to struggle in the G League, should the Suns let him go this summer or sign him to another two-way contract?
Ashton: Suns have a fan base problem. We like our young developmental talent, and Brea is at the top of the list. Eventually, I think there is going to be a culling. And Brea may be on the list.
My knee-jerk reaction is to give him to another two-way. The Suns may have a generational three-point shooter that I would hate to see develop on another team.
But this is a good problem to have. Youth in development in the G league is not a bad thing (even though the Valley Suns keep losing games). But based on some of the previous questions, there are players who may need to be sent there.
OldAz: Professional sports are a performance game, and there’s not much room for a shooter who can’t shoot. Admittedly, I have not watched any of Koby play this year because I don’t watch much G League. However, the Suns’ front office has shown an excellent ability to maximize the two-way contracts this year. Unless they see something in Brea that is bubbling below the surface, then I expect they will move on and look for the next Gillespie, Livers, or Bouyea.
I am not worried about his shot as much as I am wondering if he is showing other abilities to stay on the floor by being part of the defense or offensive system. If he is showing any other positive qualities, then maybe he gets another year, and with some extra minutes, maybe he gets his shot back. Again, however, it’s tough to keep a roster spot for a shooter who can’t shoot.
Rod: When the Suns drafted him, he was promoted as already having one NBA-ready skill…shooting threes. So far, he hasn’t been able to do that consistently in the G League, let alone in an NBA game. I haven’t watched enough of the Valley Suns games to get a good idea as to why his percentages are so low, but whatever problems he’s having in the G League are likely only going to be amplified at the NBA level. I’d say that his sticking with the Suns next season, even on another two-way contract, is going to depend on him making some progress/improvement before this season ends.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“You can do it (pick-and-roll) so many different ways, so many different locations, so many guys can be involved, and our offense is just going to be heavy in concepts. We’re gonna have to read and react a ton. … This is gonna be a constant evolution of our team, but specifically our offense over time.” – Jordan Ott
“I think he (Oso Ighodaro) is taking a gigantic step defensively with his activity. He’s one of those guys that are elite athletes in this league, just a little undersized for his position.” – Jordan Ott
“Goodie (Jordan Goodwin) does so much good stuff for us, rebounding, guarding, picking up full every possession. He brings a spark to the game that we need each and every night.” – Oso Ighodaro
“I am just trying to make it difficult for them, trying to get the shot clock down. Just get extra possessions for our team but I do take on a lot of assignments, and it’s not just me. I got the bigs behind me, guys giving me good shifts and stuff like that, so it’s really a team effort. I’m just trying to make it difficult.” – Jordan Goodwin
“I think he (Collin Gillespie) has caught a lot of people by surprise, but nobody in this locker room. He does everything out there. He’s a warrior for us. He’s been consistent since he got here, and I’m happy he’s on our side.” – Devin Booker
Suns Trivia/History
On February 6, 2008, the 34-14 Suns traded Marcus Banks and four-time All-Star Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal, who had been sidelined with a hip injury before the trade, was inactive for his first 5 games as a Sun but would start for the Suns, averaging 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, in 28 of their final 29 games of the season, in which they were 17-11. The Suns would finish the season as the 6th seed in the West with a 55-27 record and bow out of the playoffs quickly, losing their 1st round series with the San Antonio Spurs 4-1.
On February 7, 2018, the Suns tied the team record (set earlier that season on Oct. 18, 2017, against the Portland Trail Blazers) for the worst loss in team history as the San Antonio Spurs defeated them 129-81 (a 48-point margin). The Suns scored only 9 points in the 1st quarter, shot 9.4% (3 of 32) from three, and 34.0% from the field. The Suns’ starting lineup for that game was Tyler Ulis, Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren, Dragan Bender, and Marquese Chriss. This record would stand until earlier this season when the Suns were trounced by OKC (138-89) on Dec. 10, 2025, to set a new record with a 49-point loss.
On February 9, 1986, the NBA All-Star game was played with no Phoenix Suns player on the roster for the West. It was the first time in team history that no Suns player was selected for the All-Star game. The Suns struggled through the 1985-86 season to a 32-50 final record.
On February 11, 1979, the Suns defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 136-101 in a game where 8 of the 10 Suns that played scored in double figures. The Suns were led by new acquisition Truck Robinson’s 24-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Suns also made more free throws (36) than the Cavaliers attempted (25) and out-rebounded them 65 to 45.
This Week’s Game Schedule
Saturday, Feb 7 – Suns vs Philadelphia 76ers (7:00 pm) Tuesday, Feb 10 – Suns vs Dallas Mavericks (7:00 pm) Wednesday, Feb 11 – Suns vs OKC Thunder (7:00 pm)
This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule
Tuesday, Feb 10 – Valley Suns vs Winchester Knicks (7:00 pm) ESPN+ Thursday, Feb 12 – Valley Suns vs Salt Lake City Stars (12:00 pm)
Important Future Dates
Feb. 13-15 – 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, CA March 1 – Playoff eligibility waiver deadline March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play) April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET) April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees looks on during the fifth inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning all. We hope that you have a relaxing Saturday ahead of you!
There’s no sense beating around the bush on what the main topic of discussion is in Yankeeland at the moment, so we’ll just let you have at it. The Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year contract. It’s not as big as the one he signed with New York last offseason and indeed will only be worth as much as $5 million — comparative chump change for the Bombers.
I offered some commentary on the Yankees’ “run it back” approach in the linked breaking news item but I’ll ponder on Goldschmidt in particular a bit more. It is admittedly a low bar for him to clear to be a productive bench player on the 2026 team if he’s indeed used as such and is just around to both occasionally spell Ben Rice against tough lefties and serve as further injury insurance for the cold corner beyond Cody Bellinger (who the Yankees want in left). But Goldy’s bat can’t be as inconsistent as it was in 2025, when he was scorching hot in the first couple months before going cold for the majority of the season. Somewhere in the middle would be acceptable, and if he’s also teaching the still-new Rice some tools of the trade defensively while continuing to mentor in the clubhouse, then that also has utility. We’re all human after all.
That may be the best-case scenario for Goldschmidt at 38. He is a touch ancient — in the baseball sense anyway, I suppose. So are you ultimately fine with this move in a vacuum even if it’s continuing the “run it back” trend? Or should they have pursued other bench options?
Today on the site, Peter and Nolan will run through the Yankees’ list of 27 non-roster invitees to 2026 spring training and offer some commentary; Peter will handle the hitters and Nolan will be on the pitchers. For today’s featured birthday, Michael will tip his cap to an erstwhile Yankees middle infield up-and-comer who went on to flourish in Toronto in the 1980s: Dámaso García.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 25: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is congratulated at the bench after scoring his second goal during the second period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 25, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins find themselves holding a playoff position at the Olympic break almost entirely because of a series of surprise contributions. They’re exceeding any and all realistic preseason expectations as a result. This break gives a good chance to circle back at the preseason to re-emphasize just how incredible many things have worked out on an individual level.
The reasons are as long as you care to keep looking.
Parker Wotherspoon (at $1.0 million this season and next) has to be the best value signing free agent in the NHL. Perhaps in quite some time. Wotherspoon has been a legitimate first-pair defender, is solid physically, can move the puck, skates well. Does everything right. What a revelation he’s been.
Ben Kindel’s stats are somewhat modest though still impressive with 27 points to rank seventh among rookies this season. His impact on the team and in the games sure isn’t. Despite his age and not even being a top-10 pick, Kindel has gone to almost unprecedented territory as a ready-made NHL player at age-18 and is quality enough to perform well as one of the more shocking developments that remains unimaginable.
Anthony Mantha, fresh off an ACL surgery, is setting up for a career-year at age 31 (25 goals and 48 points back in 2018-19), having already produced 20 goals and 42 points in 56 games with the Pens.
Evgeni Malkin is an all-time legend, so it’s odd to list him as a surprise but not many thought he would be 43 points in 44 games type of good at age-39 coming off his worst season in 2024-25 (50 points in 68 games).
Justin Brazeau has 15 goals and 27 points in 42 games this season. He only had 16 goals and 29 points in 94 career games prior to joining the Penguins.
Connor Dewar has 13 goals and 24 points, both career-highs and coming almost entirely from a low-minute, defensive-oriented fourth line role that makes his impact even greater than the impressive stat line.
Brett Kulak has steadied the defense and helped to unlock Kris Letang’s game in major ways.
Tommy Novak has proved he can perform without being in a sheltered role and keep his production going.
Egor Chinakhov has exploded into a modern day Alex Kovalev or James Neal, harnessing his shooting ability in a spot where he can succeed filling the net.
Ryan Shea is closing in on 20 assists and has been a viable player up and down, left and right within the lineup as needed.
Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner have had their ups and downs but the goaltending has improved from a bottom-five NHL unit last season to more than respectable this season.
Add it all up and the results are astounding, even before getting to the least surprising element of all that 38-year old Sidney Crosby remains one of the league’s top players and keeps leading the way.
Ironically enough, most of the players we tabbed in preseason (Hallander, Brunicke, Alexeyev, Silovs) have had no to minimal impact, except for Silovs who is on track to lead the team in games played by a goalie this year. Which goes to show how remarkable it’s been, it’s one thing if a player or two hits a best case scenario, it’s another when across the board everyone is playing to a high level.
When that’s the case, coaching and management impacts have to be considered as well. Dan Muse has done a great job in his first season as an NHL head coach, his whole staff including assistants Todd Nelson and Mike Strothers deserve a lot of praise and recognition as well. Kyle Dubas gets a lot of the spotlight pp a level from there, his staff with Jason Spezza, Wes Clark and Vukie Mpofu have pressed a whole lot of the right buttons to add no shortage of incoming talent large (Chinakhov, Skinner, Kulak) and even small (Solovyov) while the season has been ongoing.
Success has many fathers, as the old saying goes, and that certainly applies on the individual level when it comes to the impressive team results that the Penguins have received so far this season.
Coming into the season, the script was supposed to be simple. Kentucky Basketball knew Jayden Quaintance was likely a one-and-done talent. Even with his injury struggles, the NBA scouts have been tracking him for years.
But while everyone was watching Quaintance, another Wildcat has quietly, or maybe not so quietly anymore, snuck his way up the draft boards.
MalachiMoreno is playing his way into the first round, and Kentucky fans might need to start preparing for the reality that they could lose two 7-footers to the league this summer.
The scouts are taking notice of Malachi Moreno
Moreno wasn’t necessarily projected as a “one-and-done” lottery pick when he arrived on campus, but his efficiency has forced the issue. Major outlets are now consistently ranking him as a top-30 prospect.
FanSided ranks him at No. 20, noting: “Despite a fluctuating role, Malachi Moreno looks the part of an NBA contributor… He has ready-made size and strength for the next level, on top of impressive agility in space, which allows Moreno to fully weaponize his reported 7-foot-2 wingspan.”
SB Nationlists him as the 23rd-best prospect in the entire class.
Sports Illustratedhas him going No. 28 to the Denver Nuggets in their latest mock draft.
Why Moreno is rising
It is easy to see why the league is intrigued. In just 22 minutes per game, Moreno is putting up extremely productive numbers: 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. He is shooting 58.6% from the field, proving he knows his role and doesn’t force bad shots.
“We recruited (Moreno) because we thought he could be a terrific passing big,” Pope said.
But what separates him from a standard “rim runner” is his feel for the game. Moreno is averaging 1.7 assists per game, showing a passing ability that NBA teams crave in modern bigs. He can anchor a defense with his shot-blocking, but he is agile enough to hedge on screens and recover, a prerequisite for surviving on an NBA court.
The one weakness
The only thing holding him back from being a lottery lock is the modern NBA’s obsession with spacing. Moreno has not made a 3 in college, shooting just 2 so far.
In a league where “stretch fives” are king, he is a throwback. Could his versatility outweigh his shooting? Yeah, probably. You can’t find a lot of very mobile 7-footers.
Kentucky fans were bracing to lose Quaintance. They probably weren’t bracing to lose Moreno this fast. But when you are 7-feet tall, can protect the rim, and pass, the NBA comes calling quickly. It is beginning to look like Mark Pope might have to replace more than just 1 center.
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 6: Nikola Vucevic #4 of the Boston Celtics boxes out during the game against the Miami Heat on February 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
1. Incredible Second Half Comeback
The Celtics scored 38 points in the first half and were down by as many as 22 points. It looked like it was going to be a blowout, but something lit a fire under this team at halftime because Boston came out and scored 36 points in the third quarter alone t0 tie the game going into the fourth. In a back and forth final quarter where both teams were doing everything they could to win, the Celtics were able to come out on top with a Derrick White three at the 1:31 mark to give Boston a 98-96 win.
Overall, they shot 14-47 (30%) from the field in the first half and 21-37 (57%) in the second half. This 22-point comeback was the biggest comeback win of the season for Boston and it showed the resiliency that this team has. The lineup of Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, and Nikola Vucevic came together and went on a heater to bring the Celtics kicking and screaming back into this game.
Boston shot 1-20 (5%) from three in the first half of this game and it was the worst three point shooting first half in the Joe Mazzulla era. The last time the Celtics made only one triple in a first half before tonight was on January 11th, 2024 against the Milwaukee Bucks when they shot 1-16. There was a chance that Boston was going to continue this slow shooting stretch, but they caught fire in the third quarter. The Celtics shot 5-7 from three in the third quarter and 9-16 from three in the second half as a whole. The three-point shot has been the common denominator in a lot of the Celtics close games this season and it once again showed tonight. Once Boston was started knocking down their threes, everything fell into place after that.
Shooting Zone Chart From the Celtics in First Half (left) vs Second Half (right) (Via NBA.com)
3. Nikola Vucevic Debut
Nikola Vucevic played his first game of the season as a member of the Celtics since the trade deadline and he made a huge first impression for his debut. Vucevic finished with a double-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 4-8 shooting.
He scored his first points of the night after Pritchard missed a shot and Bam Adebayo fumbled the rebound. Vucevic just grabbed it and flipped it up for an easy floater and his first points as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Vucevic then started to turn it on in the third quarter when the Celtics were making their run. He scored three times in the paint on Miami, just abusing their interior defense. He started by rolling out of a pick and roll with Derrick White. Two Heat defenders went to White so he fired a pass to Vucevic for a layup. The second basket came when he was backing down Dru Smith in the post. Pritchard found him and Vucevic missed his first attempt but was able to finish on a tap back on his second try. The final basket came when he had great positioning on Jamie Jaquez Jr. and White found him again for another layup.
Another thing that really surprised me from Vucevic’s debut was how great of a passer he was. All of his assists looked like fastballs coming 100 miles per hour and all of them were right on target. The first one came after he tapped an offensive rebound to himself and threw a crosscourt pass to Baylor Scheierman for a long two. The next came when he found Hugo Gonzalez cutting to the basket and threw a strike right to his hands for a dunk. The third came in the second quarter when he got the ball in the post and two Heat defenders went after him. Vucevic calmly found Derrick White who was cutting to the basket from the top of the three-point line and he finished with an easy dunk. Finally, on the game winning basket, Vucevic put the ball on the floor and found White for a wide-open corner three to give Boston the lead with under two minutes to go. Overall, this was a great showing out of Vucevic and the Celtics did a great job of incorporating him into the offense.
Jaylen Brown finished with 29 points and 7 rebounds on 11-25 shooting and didn’t have his best game of the season. However, when the Celtics were down big at the half, without Brown turning it on the second quarter, they would have been down by a lot more. Brown had 15 of the Celtics 23 points in the second quarter, shooting 6-10 and doing everything in his power to keep Boston in striking distance.
Brown started his scoring barrage with a layup after sealing of Andrew Wiggins on the drive to the basket. Next came on a thunderous slam where he blew by Wiggins and attacked the rim. The third bucket came when he had Bam Adebayo one-on-one. He drove and threw up a floater that went in plus the foul for an And-1. The next one came where he took it coast-to-coast for an easy layup over Simone Fontecchio. The fifth came where he overpowered Davion Mitchell and finished another easy layup. Finally, he got the ball at the perimeter, blew by Mitchell, and threw down another dunk.
The fourth quarter was the next time Brown came up big, starting with a play that got broken up by the Heat defense. Brown was able to get it back and take the contact from Adebayo to finish a floater that should have been an And-1. The other big bucket came at the 2:16 mark where he scored the second to last basket of the game for the Celtics, driving into Norman Powell and finishing a tough shot.
At the end of the first half, Payton Pritchard had 5 points on 1-6 shooting and was being really passive. As a 6MOTY winner, scoring was going to have to be his top priority in the second half and he did not disappoint. Pritchard finished with 19 points in the second half on 7-9 shooting from the field and 4-4 from three.
Pritchard started his second half scoring a step back three over Myron Gardner who was a step slow on the contest. The next one came on another step back three, this time over Simone Fontecchio who had no chance of guarding him. He finished the third quarter with a driving layup and forced an And-1 on Kel’el Ware who hit him on the arm.
Starting the fourth quarter, Pritchard picked up right where he left off, starting with crossing up Nikola Jovic one-on-one for a midrange jumper. The next bucket came off of a missed shot by Brown but Sam Hauser got the offensive rebound and found Pritchard wide open for three. The next one came on another three, this time right in the face of Norman Powell. Finally, on maybe his best play of the night, Pritchard backed down Davion Mitchell, hit a spin move into an up and under move for a layup.
Similar to Pritchard, White had a slow first half in this game but turned it on when the Celtics needed him most. He finished with 21 points, 5 assists and 4 blocks on the night and the biggest came in the fourth quarter.
Before the fourth quarter, as time was running down in the third quarter, Baylor Scheierman found White for a wide open corner three out of an inbounds pass. White made the shot as he was falling away and tied the game for Boston, completing their 22-point comeback.
As the Celtics were rolling, White hit his first shot of the fourth quarter coming off a pass from Pritchard. White caught the ball in front of Erik Spoelstra, hit the three, and held the follow through for a little bit. To quote Wesley Snipes from White Men Can’t Jump, “It’s pretty, it’s so pretty.”
His other basket of the quarter came with 1:31 left in the game. Brown attracted two Heat defenders on the pick and roll and found Vucevic wide open at the three point line. Vucevic caught the pass, made one dribble, and found White wide open in the corner from three. This would be the game winning basket for the Celtics as neither team scored again.
The reason why nobody scored again can also be attributed to Derrick White. With 34 seconds to go, Davion Mitchell drove on Derrick White. He must have forgotten that White is the best shot blocking guard in the NBA because he sent it back and Baylor Scheierman grabbed the rebound.
Hugo Gonzalez’s birthday was on February 5th, 2026, the same day as the trade deadline and the day before this game. He graduated from no longer being 19 anymore, although he still might be in the eyes of Celtics fans for while. But since he is now 20 years old, Hugo decided he wanted celebrate his birthday by doing the thing he does best, creating chaos on the basketball court.
Gonzalez’s first highlight play of the night came in the first quarter when he started streaking from the corner. Vucevic found him on a nice pass Hugo’s beautiful cut led to a wide open dunk.
The next impressive play of the night came in the second quarter. Hugo was the only defender trying to guard two Heat players on the three point line. But when Pelle Larsson tried to make a bounce pass to the corner, Gonzalez picked it off and started the fast break. On it, he found Jaylen Brown on an incredible bounce pass that led to Brown being fouled and shooting free throws.
Finally, Hugo showed that he will back down to no man when it comes to fighting for the basketball. When Norman Powell grabbed a rebound in the fourth quarter, Gonzalez was also trying to grab the ball as well. He was trying to force a jump ball and when the ref blew the whistle, Powell and Gonzalez went up to each other face-to-face. Gonzalez didn’t back down to the all-star and the fight was broken up before anything got started.
Postgame, Joe Mazzulla smiled when he was about the confrontation, saying, “That was fun.” He dove deeper into it, saying “…anything that can create chaos and conflict, but not cost you points, we should be all about that.”
Joe Mazzulla on Hugo Gonzalez standing toe-to-toe with Norman Powell:
“That was fun.”
“So anything that can create chaos and conflict, but not cost you points — we should be all about that.” pic.twitter.com/bQznD8Va2z
In the Celtics win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Joe Mazzulla ran out a double-big starting lineup with Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. It worked well as they were able to upset Houston so Mazzulla tried that lineup again to start this matchup against the Heat. Results were not working the same to start this game as the Heat went on a 9-2 run before Joe pulled the plug. Mazzulla took out both Garza and Queta at the 8:58 mark of the first quarter and didn’t use a double big lineup for the rest of the night. Although the double big lineup didn’t work with Garza and Queta, I don’t think Mazzulla should be swayed to never use it again. I would like to see what a lineup of Vucevic and Queta look like for a game and although it might yield similar results to tonight, you never know.
Before tonight I thought the Celtics could potentially run three bigs in their rotation similarly to how they would use Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. After tonight I am a lot less confident in my belief of that. I think Luka Garza will be a great third center coming off the bench for Boston but I think most of the minutes should be switched off between Queta and Vucevic. If or when Jayson Tatum comes back, the power forward spot will be filled but for now I wouldn’t mind them starting a guy like Baylor Scheierman or Hugo Gonzalez. This allows Pritchard and Vucevic to come in off the bench at the same time and be able to build continuity.
9. Playoff Atmosphere
This season is my first season covering the beat for CelticsBlog live from TD Garden during games and as a media member I have been to 3 or 4 Celtics games so far but as a fan I have been to a lot more. I have been to a lot of both regular season and playoff games over the years but I think the crowd in tonight was the loudest I have ever heard it.
During the Celtics comeback in the third quarter, every time Boston made a basket or a stop on defense the crowd was erupting like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I don’t know if it was because it was a Friday night or because it was against the Miami Heat, but either way sitting up in the press box, you could feel the stadium shaking with every basket. The loudest it got was in the fourth quarter when Derrick White hit what was the game winning three for Boston. My phone recording doesn’t do it justice because I could feel the stadium vibrating underneath my feet.
This was an all time TD Garden crowd tonight and when Joe Mazzulla was asked about it after the game he said, “We have the phrase up there, “different here”, and it’s the truth… I thought that the crowd could have easily given up on us, deservedly so and I thought they stuck with us and helped us, especially third quarter.”
When the TD Garden crowd is rocking, there is no other place in the NBA that I think gets louder. I would say the crowd tonight was a factor and it got into the heads of a young Miami Heat team.
Joe Mazzulla on the fans impact tonight
“We have the phrase up there, “different here”, and it's the truth… I thought that the crowd could have easily given up on us, deservedly so and I thought they stuck with us and helped us, especially third quarter.” pic.twitter.com/ChR1xiAhyW
To say this was a collapse of epic proportions for the Miami Heat would be an understatement. After being the only team in the Eastern Conference not to make a move at the trade deadline, Miami opened up a huge lead on the road in Boston. Celtics fans were surly getting PTSD from the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals and going into halftime, all they had to do was just keep their foot on the gas.
That did not happen for them to the benefit of the Celtics, and their poor third quarter was really their downfall. They shot 5-19 (26%) from the field and 2-12 from three in the quarter. This along with the Celtics hot shooting, got the fans in TD Garden into a frenzy and Miami lost all momentum from there. Boston has now won 13 of their last 15 matchups against the Miami Heat and 10 of those wins in a row. In the dead of winter, its always nice to Beat the Heat.
The Bucks put the Warriors through the washing machine.
By dangling Giannis Antetokounmpo as a carrot ahead of the NBA trade deadline, they made the league’s modern-day dynasty believe it had another shot at the mountaintop. They made Steph Curry believe he had a chance to compete for his fifth ring. And they made Draymond Green face the harsh reality that anyone is disposable if a shiny enough object comes along.
The Warriors went all in on the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. They were considered front-runners. They were willing to mortgage their future with four unprotected first-round picks. They shifted their focus from pursuing other trades, including Jaren Jackson Jr., before pivoting at the buzzer and landing Kristaps Porzingis.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and forward Gui Santos celebrate during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. AP
There was a lot of fallout from the Bucks’ 6-foot-11, 240-pound pump fake.
But none was more revealing than the way Green handled hearing that his name was involved in trade talks for the first time in his 14-season career, something that would’ve been off the table for pretty much anyone not named Antetokounmpo.
Green took it on the chin.
Two days before the trade deadline, when he was asked about being included in a potential deal, he was markedly understanding. “I think a lot of people want to know how I feel about it, like am I upset about it,” Green said Tuesday. “I’m not at all. If that’s what’s best for this organization, that’s what’s best for the organization.”
That wasn’t an act. One thing Green isn’t is disingenuous. Rather, those were the words of a man who knew he did everything he could for the Warriors. They were the words of someone who poured every ounce of himself into a franchise, helping it become a dynasty that won four championships in eight years. They were the words of someone at peace.
The 35-year-old Green is known for being fiery. He’s a guy who transformed himself from an undersized No. 35 pick in the 2012 draft into one of the greatest defenders in NBA history. He’s grit personified. For the Warriors, none of this would’ve happened without him.
He was considered untradable — or at least as untradable as someone can be in a league in which Luka Doncic can be dealt. He had earned that. But when that changed, he didn’t express surprise over the whiplash of it all. He didn’t express disappointment over the shift in loyalty.
Rather, he leaned into gratitude.
“I don’t know that it ends at 13 1/2, but if it does, what a f***ing run it’s been,” Green said. “I’ll take the fine for (cursing). What a f***ing run it’s been.”
The thing is the relationship between Green and the Warriors has always been symbiotic.
His ability to guard 1 through 5 made the Warriors one of the greatest franchises ever. In turn, they supported him through the turbulence that goes hand-in-hand with a player whose oxygen is intensity.
After Green got into it with Kevin Durant in November 2018, Curry drove to Green’s Oakland home and talked with him in his backyard for two hours. And after Green was suspended indefinitely for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face in December 2023, Warriors coach Steve Kerr went to Green’s Los Angeles home, sat in his backyard and helped recenter him.
The Warriors have had Green’s back. And he’s had theirs.
For Green, if a trade had happened, there wouldn’t have been any bitterness. Any resentment. Any betrayal. While Green can be reactionary, this clearly showed his other side. He’s contemplative. He’s likable.
You don’t remain on a team for 13 1/2 years if you’re not. A few years ago, Green likened himself, Curry and Klay Thompson to being the co-founders of a start-up. Over their six Finals runs, they played an extra 127 games, or the equivalent of an extra season and a half.
They became brothers, spending more time together than with their actual families. They wanted to retire together. Thompson left in free agency in July 2024 because he wanted out amid frustrations over contract negotiations and his decreased role.
If Green had been traded, that would’ve felt different.
Coach Steve Kerr gestures to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons. AP
Kerr has called Green the “heart and soul” of the team. His unbridled intensity served as a defibrillator in locker rooms and huddles, shocking his teammates into meeting him at the feverish pitch at which he existed.
Without Green, the Warriors’ path could’ve been dramatically altered.
Curry might not have been able to become the best shooter of all time without fully trusting that the other end of the court was patrolled. Kerr might not have been so effective without having a human form of fireworks echoing his words.
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Green is the Warriors’ glue guy, who selflessly facilitated on offense, while also pouring himself into the less glamorous side of the court. He is the person who does the things other players don’t want to do. He’s a blue-collar worker who turned himself into a four-time All-Star and future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
And when his name surprisingly came into trade conversations, he didn’t hem and haw. He didn’t take veiled shots at the organization. Rather, he understood.
Over the last decade, he helped the Warriors become one of the NBA’s most dominant teams. And in turn, they enabled him to become the best version of himself.
And when his future was hanging in the balance, it was clear he overwhelmingly felt one emotion: appreciation.
“What do I have to be upset about?” he asked. “I’ve been here for 13 1/2 years. That’s longer than probably 98% of NBA players have been in one place. And this guy from Saginaw has been in a place for 13 1/2 years.”
Faheem Ashraf smashed an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan scrambled past the Netherlands by three wickets to avoid a massive shock in the curtain-raiser of the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday.
MILAN — NHL players are scheduled to land in Milan early in the morning Saturday and start practicing within hours.
It's the logistical aspect of getting around 150 players from the U.S. to the 2026 Winter Games, where for the next two weeks they'll try to reach the gold medal game Feb. 22. The players and other NHL personnel are traveling on chartered planes.
While NHL owners may grumble about the possibility of injuries, it's a win for the sport to have the game's best players back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014. (The 2018 Olympics in South Korea were a no-go for insurance and travel reasons, and the NHL pulled out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing because of the pandemic.)
Here's what to know.
When and where does Olympic men's hockey get underway
The first practices run all day Sunday, with Latvia holding the first slot at 10 a.m. in Milan (4 a.m. ET). The U.S. has a slot from 6-7:30 p.m., and Canada from 7:45 to 9:15 p.m. There are practices through Feb. 10. They're vital to getting everybody on the same page as quickly as possible, and to turbo-charge team bonding. As far as arenas, Santa Giulia Arena is the primary one, while Rho Ice Hockey Arena is a temporary venue.
When do the games begin
Games begin Feb. 11, with the marquee team in action that day being Sweden against Italy. In preliminaries, the U.S. plays Latvia Feb. 12, Denmark Feb. 14, and Germany Feb. 15.
How many teams are there
The participating national teams are Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S. Host Italy is the only team without an NHL player on its roster. The teams are divided into fields of four. Group A has Canada, Czechia, France and Switzerland. Group B is Finland, Italy, Slovakia and Sweden. Group C has Denmark, Germany, Latvia and the U.S.
All 12 teams play three preliminary games in their respective groups, then move on to a single-elimination playoff that will conclude with the gold medal game Feb. 22.
Who is there from the NHL
All 32 NHL teams have a player going, but some teams have quite a few more than others. Take the Florida Panthers (10, representing five teams) and the Vegas Golden Knights (Nine, representing seven countries).The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning each have eight players going.
